About Those Purple Street Lights On The Roads (Have You Seen Them?)

by SharonKurheg

About a month before Covid exploded so much that it was deemed a worldwide pandemic, Joe and I bought tickets to see a touring production of Hamilton, up in Jacksonville. It’s about 2.5 hours from where we live in Orlando.

The show, originally scheduled for March, 2020, was, of course cancelled…and then re-scheduled a few times. Each time it was rescheduled, we were offered a refund if we wanted, but we were willing to hold on to the tickets and just wait.

Touring Broadway shows finally went back on the road in 2021 and our opportunity to be “in the room where it happened” in Jacksonville finally came to be, albeit 20 months later than anticipated.

The show was as wonderful as always (it wasn’t the first time we’ve seen it) and when it was over, we started our long drive home.

We took Rt. 95 south, which hugs the eastern seaboard, until we reached I-4, and then we headed west. For a good portion of our drive, we noticed that many, albeit not all of the street lamps on the highway were more of a purple hue than the white we were used to.

A few months later, we noticed that one of our local mega strip malls, The Loop, was suddenly lighted by purple lights, as well. Maybe 2 or 3 in the whole parking lot were white, but all the rest were purple.

a street with a purple light at night

PC: Reddit / LemonWaluigi

We’ve driven on those roads at nighttime before, and had been to The Loop a bajillion times; their respective nighttime lights had always been white. So we wondered what was up with the purple lights. Were they some sort of new, energy-saving light? Had they been proven to decrease road rage or increase alertness? Did someone think they were just prettier or cooler looking than the old white lights?

None of the above.

It turns out they’re a manufacturer defect.

Yes, really.

The lights in question are LEDs. They start out as white but over time they start to change to purple. The problem comes from a component in the light that fails prematurely. That allows too much of the purple light spectrum to shine through and it changes the color of the light from white to purple (or purplish blue).

To date, the problem has occurred in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and potentially other states. Our friends in the Great White North have had the issue in Vancouver and Winnipeg, as well. We’ve heard there have been some purple light sightings in Ireland, too. We’re talking thousands upon thousands of lights if not more, all told.

It even has a name. Business Insider called it the Great Purpling.

Here’s a video of what they look like as you’re driving (the purple lights start at roughly the 0:24 mark):

Local energy companies replace the lights, but it’s a slow process since they have to be replaced one by one. While Milwaukee, for example, said they only had about 300 to replace, cities such as Topeka and Wichita had between 2,000 and 3,000 purple lights.

Joe was driving and he said that at 1 o’clock in the morning, they looked weird. Frankly, I thought the purple lights looked kind of nice. Too bad they’ll eventually have to be replaced.

Have you seen them where you are?

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22 comments

Christian October 8, 2021 - 3:38 pm

Interesting. I’ve seen them in Tennessee and wondered. Thanks for clearing that up.

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Bob October 9, 2021 - 11:33 am

Got to wonder if it may help maintain your night vision

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PopopThePatriot April 2, 2023 - 11:51 am

I thought this was purposeful for that exact reason. I find the areas of roadway where the lights have changed to be very pleasant to drive at night. Maybe a study should be completed before going to the expense of changing.

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BRYAN October 13, 2021 - 11:49 am

Right in target with your comments related to Wichita, KS. Fans of Kansas State University think it’s the best thing ever. People who do prefer other universities are not as positive. And it does make it harder to drive at night, especially when you get a mix of old and new bulbs.

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Andy October 14, 2021 - 9:17 am

Yes, in Apex, NC, there’s a Holiday Inn Express where all the outside lights have that bluish/purplish tint. Make the hotel look like it’s decorated for Halloween year-round.

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NedsKid April 1, 2023 - 4:04 pm

Interesting! I have seen some of these. Quite honestly I like them better than the bright white. It makes the contrast with the white on road signs easier to see for me.

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H Hernandez April 1, 2023 - 9:44 pm

Isn’t it curious that they haven’t corrected this error as of yet. These lights are intentional. The real question is why? Some of us know. We are the same people who are unvaccinated.

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SharonKurheg April 1, 2023 - 11:23 pm

#rolleyes

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Ted korpi April 2, 2023 - 10:26 am

Most definitely. Maybe a 360 with my eyes.

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SharonKurheg April 2, 2023 - 11:33 am

No. Just a roll. That’s all that’s needed.

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Ted korpi April 2, 2023 - 10:35 am

What they are saying is no way possible. There is a definite purpose of the lights. Wake up people. That would be a major issue if it was fact. The state and government won’t get screwed like that.

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SharonKurheg April 2, 2023 - 11:34 am

OMG. Really? Really? For you as well….#rolleyes

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Lisa Rains April 2, 2023 - 8:47 am

So I’m wondering if the street lights turn purple will that happen to the led lights on cars can that be a major safety problem

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Enrique Cruz April 2, 2023 - 9:26 am

Yeah… the purple lights are a bit of a distraction and not helping the roadway in any way. I’m more concerned with HOW LONG it’s taking to fix the HWY17 WALK-WAY between Dr’s Lake Bridge and PACE ISLAND. How long will this WALK-WAY be closed due to someone’s negligence?

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Jim April 2, 2023 - 10:16 am

Wondering, if the LED lights are becoming defective, emitting blueish / purple light. Is this light being emitted ultra violate?? Has anyone verified this? Since the LED street lights were designed to emit the full light spectrum, day light. Emitting blue / purple Lish light spectrum maybe hazardous if the light emitted is in the ultra violet spectrum?

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Krissy April 2, 2023 - 10:41 am

I am a truck driver and they are in all 48 states. They are pretty an there nice when you where bright colors because thoses lights makes people walking stand out more like a black light. But for driving it doesn’t show everything clear like with a white light so some areas will probably keep them but it’s is hard to see what’s lurking in the shadows.

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Kathy April 2, 2023 - 11:20 am

I actually saw one in Daytona Beach at Indigo Drive, just thought it was the road’s identification. I really like it!!

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Maggi Casale April 2, 2023 - 2:26 pm

They are blacklights so things glow in the dark and it has something to do with the jab. If you know, you know.

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SharonKurheg April 2, 2023 - 2:33 pm

I don’t know what you know, but I know bat$#!+ crazy when I hear it #rolleyes

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Don April 2, 2023 - 2:38 pm

These are actually a light so they can detect if you have the vaccine. Big brother keeping an eye on you.

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SharonKurheg April 2, 2023 - 2:43 pm

OMG, that’s the most creative one yet… You have a great sense of humor about those crazies!

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candhamster April 3, 2023 - 3:37 pm

Trippin’

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